


Healers, Soldiers, Spies, and a Seven Year Old

by SusanaR



Series: Desperate Hours Alternative Universe G version (DH AU G) [39]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Action/Adventure, Banter, Child Prodigy, Father-Daughter Relationship, Friendship, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-16
Updated: 2015-04-16
Packaged: 2018-03-23 05:42:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3756598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SusanaR/pseuds/SusanaR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finduilas of Dol Amroth is not an ordinary child, and she needs the Lady Galadriel's help. Badly enough to hitch a ride with her father and his fellow spies on a desperate mission for the Wizard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Healers, Soldiers, Spies, and a Seven Year Old

**Author's Note:**

> Quotes: 
> 
> "If complete and utter chaos was lightning, then he'd be the sort to stand on a hilltop in a thunderstorm wearing wet copper armour and shouting 'All gods are bastards'." - Terry Pratchett
> 
> "She was already learning that if you ignore the rules people will, half the time, quietly rewrite them so that they don't apply to you." - Terry Pratchett
> 
> The primary prerequisite for becoming a witch or a wizard is a will of steel. We're not talking confident- we're talking about someone who is normally described, even by those who love them well, as entirely too stubborn for their own good.

Elladan Elrondion was beyond weary, and worried besides. He and his comrade Adrahil had been forced to leave Elladan's cousin Orophin, his sworn-brother Melpomaen, and most of Adrahil's companions alone behind enemy lines in Harad. There had been no choice, really. Elladan, Adrahil, and Tarostar were closest to the border of the enemy lands, and someone needed to return to Lothlorien's libraries and gardens for recipes and herbs that grew only there, to trade for information that Gandalf's spies dearly needed. 

To gather more ingredients, they had been forced to take a circuitous path back to Lothlorien, and were only now in the foothills of the White Mountains in Gondor. 

"There's a decent-sized down with a fine-enough inn near the mouth of the River Ringlo." Said Prince Adrahil hopefully. 

Sergeant Tarostar rolled his eyes, as did Elladan. Adrahil loved inns. He was addicted to dice games, card games, dart games, and any other game of chance that had ever been invented, as well as some he'd made up himself. He was very good at them, unless he was falling down drunk. Unfortunately, he liked to get falling-down drunk, in which circumstance he still won, most of the time, but his fiery temper and his quick tongue got them all into so much trouble that there were more inns than Elladan could count which Adrahil, and correspondingly his companions, had been banned from. At least under one set of aliases. For someone so spirited, Adrahil could take on an entirely different persona when he had to. 

But, to the best of Elladan's knowledge, Adrahil had never been thrown out of this particular inn. And besides, Elladan wanted a warm, dry bed for the evening as well. Lord Elrond's second son was accustomed to roughing it when he had to, but he had ever preferred his comforts, however rudimentary a Gondorian inn might be compared to the silk sheets and singing waterfalls of Imladris. 

So Elladan acquiesced to Adrahil's request, despite Tarostar's reservations. They soon found themselves in a decent-enough bedchamber of the clean but dreary inn, but they were not the chamber's first occupants. No, there was a little girl on the bed nearest the door. A little girl with hair the color of a fox's bright fur, and eyes as gray-green as laurel leaves in dappled shade. 

"Hello, Ada." She greeted Adrahil, whose jaw had dropped open in surprise. Tarostar was in a like state, but perhaps from long practice dealing with Adrahil and all of Adrahil's antics, he regained his equilibrium first. 

"Princess Finduilas, how in the name of all the Valar did you get here?" Tarostar scolded the little girl. 

"I got rides with the traders, going from Dol Amroth towards the mountains." The little girl explained. 

Adrahil went to embrace her and sit beside her, scolding, "Fin, not everyone is nice to little girls. You need to be more careful. We'll have to...." 

"Don't worry, Ada," The child interrupted, "I can tell who the bad people are, and I stayed away from them. Best for them that they stayed away from me, too." 

Elladan was Elrohir's brother, Glorfindel's lieutenant, Galadriels' grandson, and Arwen's brother. He was not easily scared. But the fierce gleam in this pretty little girl's eyes....it was downright disturbing.

His friend Adrahil, though initially taken aback, seemed to be mostly taking this in stride. Eru, Elladan was glad that all human children were not this terrifying, though Estel had certainly had his moments. This little girl reminded of Arwen, as well, and of how their father hadn't believed that their little sister would sometimes pull out her frightening "junior prophetess" act in order to frighten them, or to get what she wanted. Elrond had not been best pleased with Arwen when he had found out at last - it was one of the few times Arwen had gotten into real trouble with their father. But Elladan had the uncomfortable feeling that Finduilas of Dol Amroth wasn't acting. 

Adrahil, who had been further interrogating his daughter, shook his head and lectured, "Fin, you can't, you just can't, just decide to up and decamp the castle to follow me, leaving a note for Miri that you've gone to join Ada on his trading trip, and you'll be back later."

"I know where you and your friends are going," Finduilas replied in a cool, dismissive tone, "You're the fire-bearer's dogs. I only need travel as far as the immortal wood, but I need to go there. I am not sure why, or why it has to be now, but if I can't go with you, I'll go by myself. The birds will show me the way, and the trees have promised to give me safe passage.

Adrahil cursed long and creatively, to the extent that Tarostar winced and protested, and even Elladan was slightly amazed. 

In the end, Adrahil accused Finduilas, "Your sister never caused me this much trouble and worry."

"And my brother shall cause you less, until he causes you more," Finduilas said levelly, "Now, may I accompany you, or shall we race?"

Elladan blinked. "I did not know that you had been blessed with a son, Adrahil mellon-nin. Congratulations." 

"I haven't." Replied Adrahil, before turning back to his daughter, "Fin, what brother?" 

"He'll be born in the spring. You should let Nana name him."

After that, Elladan just had to put his saddle bags down and laugh at Adrahil. "I think that your children must be the Valar's vengeance upon you for being, well, you," He told Adrahil, in between chuckles. 

"Thank you," Said Adrahil dryly, while Finduilas smiled charmingly. A small, feminine version of Adrahil's winning smile, with dimples. It was a wonder, Elladan thought to himself, that her father had ever been able to deny her anything.


End file.
